Willow Run B24 Production Exhibit, Michigan
www.YellowAirplane.com

Photos of the Willow Run,
B-24 Liberator Production Line in WW2.

Willow Run:Colossus of American Industry  Page 5-4

Click Here's some photos of the inside of the B-24 Liberator production line near Detroit Michigan. 

The enormous size of this plant is astonishing.  They trained over 50,000 workers to build the B-24 Liberators at Willow Run Michigan.   The factory was over a mile long and produced a B-24 Liberator every 58 minutes.  B-24 Liberator Books.

Home A-7 Corsair II Alpha Jet Betty Bombers North Pole Exhibits Baka Bomb
Deane Kesterson Five Miles Gee Bee Aircraft Inaki Ruiz Jeff Dyrek Story Stolen P-40
One More Mission Patco Pitts Exhibits P-51 Mustang Poland to Pullman Short Straw
Siamak Hatami  South Pole Expedition Space Shuttle Doug Keller USS Kitty Hawk 34th Fighter Squadron
413th Fighter Group Famous People

Go to the
YellowAirplane
Online Museum

Veterans Articles Willow Run
  Corvettes Sports Cars
Willow Run: Colossus of American Industry.

B-24 Liberators inside the Willow Run Assembly Line building.

Photo Scanned by C. Jeff Dyrek
Click on Photo for Larger Image.

Close-up photo of the B-24 Liberator bomber engines and right wing.

Photo Scanned by C. Jeff Dyrek


  Click Here to see the Script Release for  
  "Willow Run The Eighth Air Force WW2 Movie"
 

Looking down the mile long B-24 Liberator Bomber Factory Assembly Line.
Photo Scanned by C. Jeff Dyrek
Previous willow run page
Willow Run Exhibit Home
Next willow run page

 

These are some photos of the B-24 Production Line.   Look at the Factories Specifications Below

Area: Entire Project  1,878 acres,
Airport size: 
1,434 acres,
Factory Floor
80 1/4 acres - 3,503,016 sq. ft.-
including hangars: 4,734,617 sq. ft.,
 
Length of willow run factory - E
ast to West:  3,200 feet, 
Width of willow run factory
1,277 feet, 
Length of assembly lines:
5,450 feet, 
Runways (longest)  7,366 feet,
(Shortest)  6,510 feet, 

Cost of willow run project: 
103,000,000, 
Weight of B-24 on delivery
49,900 lbs. 
Number of rivets in the B-24: 
313,237, 
Dies made
as of December 1944:  29,124,
Fixtures in Production: 
10,915,
Number of wooden floor blocks: 
16,000,000, 
Fluorescent tubes:
  152,000, 
Number of windows: 
28,855, 
Conveyors: 
136, Crane-ways:  29,  
Monorails
(all buildings)  18 miles,
Power requirements
approx.  13,200 KWH,
Students trained in school 
50,000,  
Water used daily
approx.:  5,000,000 gallons, 
Parking lots
(capacity)  15,300 cars,  
Fuel capacity
(gasoline):  150,000,  
Fire Protection 
(Sprinkler heads)  5,212,  
Airport concrete used
at willow run is equal to a 20 foot highway 115 miles long. 

From the Webmaster:  Look at the size of this manufacturing plant.  They had to train over 50,000 people as well as build the B-24' factory.  It used more than 13 Megawatts of electrical power.  Totally Amazing.
My Aunt Laura worked for the B-24 Liberator plant in San Diego, California.  She worked with supply and checking of the air tools.  She told me that one of her supervisors looked out of the window and saw her husband, my Uncle Howard, riding away on a train, heading to war.  The supervisor didn't tell my aunt until the day was over.

  Click Here's Warren Benjamin Kidders New Book, The Mighty Eighth Air Force Click Here's the Movie Script for Willow Run


 

A specially autographed, Willow Run, book for Laura Heckel

 

The above book is a specially autographed book that was sent from Ben Kidder to Laura Heckel, a lady who worked on the production lines of the B-24 Liberator.  Click on the picture for a close-up

This spring I was with Laura, now 90 years old in 2009, as we toured the U-505 Submarine
in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.  The new U-505 Exhibit is absolutely fantastic. As we were waiting to enter the sub, the tour guide said that they had so many people in the museum that he absolutely had no time to answer any questions.  Then he went on and gave a very good talk about the submarine and it's mission. 

I was wearing my USS Kitty Hawk hat and a USA Shirt and I'm an old toad myself and looked very official. Just as the guide finished his talk, I raised my hand and he had no choice but to answer me.  I then pointed at my aunt Laura and said "This is a lady who built the very same airplanes that were specially designed to sink these subs and end the terror of the Wolf packs."  My aunt turned red and everyone clapped and cheered.

After she received this specially autographed book from Ben, she told me that this was the greatest
gift that anyone has ever given her.  It's because she has worked very hard all of her life and until she was ninety years old, not one person ever gave her recognition.

The fact is, just like the soldiers who were giving up their lives to keep our country free, the workers, here in the  United States, were just as important by supporting these troops to keep our country free.  Our country united in a time of war and national crisis and worked harder with more hours and lower pay to keep our country free.

This is why they called Charles E. Sorenson, the Rambo of World War 2.  If it wasn't for his manufacturing genius, and the non stop effort of the workers, we would have lost the war.  The production of the B-24 Liberators at one aircraft every 56 minutes, gave us the military might that Hitler couldn't stop.  It was a combined effort and every true  American, like Laura Heckel, was part of that effort and gave us the ability to win the war, and Warren Benjamin Kidder  recognized this fact and her effort.  C. Jeff Dyrek, Webmaster.

 

  Click Here to go to the YellowAirplane Online Museum
 

Order Willow Run, the Book. 
To Order 
Your Personal Autographed Copy, Send Check or Money Order to:

KFT Publishers,
3617 Christine Dr.
Lansing, MI. 48911

For Information Contact
Email: kidderfr@ATT.net Phone 517- 394-2849


   Here's another Book Review about a B-24 Pilot in WW2, Jessie Pettey.

An Article by the webmaster


 

warbirds are the ww2 aircraft

 B-24 Liberator Movies     B-24 Liberator Aviation Art   B-24 Liberator Models     B-24 Liberator Books

 

The Mighty Eighth Air Force World War II

The Mighty Eighth Air Force in Action during World War II.  Shows the building of the B-24 Liberator, Doolittle's Raids, Ploesti Raids, and a list of every mission flown by the Eighth Air Force.

The Might Eithth Air Force in Action in World War II

 

Patterson Aircraft Company

This exhibit shows the Patterson Aircraft Company in 1980.  This is the place that I worked in the last part of the 70's and the first part of the 80's.  This was the best job that I have ever had and one of the best crews that I have ever worked with.  C. Jeff Dyrek, webmaster.

Exhibit Added 1 Sep 2004

C. Jeff Dyrek, webmaster, YellowAirplane.com

 

0008916116 width=250>

B-24 Liberator Balsa Wood Kit
Balsa Wood Model Kit


"Jerk's Natural," a Ploesti survivor, is the subject of this incredible balsa wood display  kit. 1/28 scale construction results in a 48½" wingspan... that's more than four feet! Assembly required.
....#0008916

 

Veterans,  Read This


 


To the Main Entrance of the Yellow Airplane StoreGo to the Stores Front Door

Home Base ( ) ( ) Corvettes
Airplane Books WW1 Aircraft Acoustic Guitars Aviation Museums 
Airplane Models WW2 Bombers Train Calendars Tanks
Jet Fighter Models Camaros for Sale Ship Models Military Vehicles 

 

Click Here for a list of WW2 Fighter Groups

Listing of Bomb Groups

Click Here to go to the YellowAirplane Online Museum


   Write to the Webmaster  

 

 

 

AVIATION TOP 100 - www.avitop.com  Best Aviation Sites Airplane Web Sites   

            

 

/WebSite/Book_Reviews/Warren_Benjamin_Kidder/WillowRun_PG5_4-B-24LiberatorProductionPlant.html|26515"  

 

 

 

  .